The invention described herein relates to cooking food products and more particularly to an oven used for cooking large quantities of food for restaurant or other commercial purposes.
The prior art discloses many different types of equipment for cooking or curing foods by dry or moist heat processes. In the usual design, meat for example, is placed on trays in closed containers and cooked under controlled temperature conditions for established time periods. The circulating air is hot and controlled at a constant temperature to achieve proper cooking of the food but no flavor is imparted to it other than that provided by different kinds of plant seasonings which are applied directly to the food.
Other types of closed ovens are known where the food is cooked or cured by hot or cold smoke processes. In these designs, hot smoke is generated by a burning wood log and is caused to flow over the food, thus imparting flavor to it. However, no means are employed for conveniently inspecting the food during the cooking process because provision is not made for releasing the trapped smoke prior to inspection. Also, the temperature cannot be controlled within reasonable limits because of the burning characteristics of the wood. As a result, the food often is cooked too little or too much.